The present invention relates to a system and a method for presenting image information (or sound information or image/sound information) to passengers in a conveyance (or transportation) such as a railway vehicle (train), a bus, a ship, and an aircraft.
A prior art system for presenting information in a railroad station or a train is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2,569,025. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the system. The administrator inputs a command to a controlling calculator 901 using a keyboard 902 and a monitor 903 to operate the system. The image recorded by a video tape recorder 922, on a video disk 924, or in video memory 925, is displayed on a display unit 941 in a train or a ticket dispenser with a display unit 942 installed in a station by commands of a signal selector 931 and control units 921 and 923. In FIG. 13, a reference numeral 904 denotes a hard disk, 905 denotes a printer, 911 denotes a communication control unit, and 926 denotes a video signal converter.
The prior art system described above, however, does not have a means for linking the image display with the train operation information. If an one-hour image sequence is presented on a display unit in a train and if the train stops at stations every 10 minutes, a drawback to the sponsor is that just a part of the image sequence is presented to alighting passengers, and the passengers feel annoyed at or dissatisfied with the fact that they must alight from the train while the reproduction of the image sequence is in progress.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for presenting information to passengers in a conveyance, which can generate the presentation data to be presented to passengers, depending on the operation schedule of the conveyance.
A system for presenting information to passengers in a conveyance, comprising: a computer which is provided in the conveyance and stores operation diagram information; a storage medium which stores a plurality of advertisement data items to be presented to the passengers; and an information presenting device which presents information to the passengers; wherein the computer obtains an operation time in each operation section of the conveyance on the basis of the operation diagram information and identification data for identifying the conveyance after the identification data is input, and selects and arranges some of the advertisement data items stored in the storage medium to generate presentation data for continuously presenting information to the passengers throughout a time period corresponding to the operation time; and the information presenting device reproduces the presentation data corresponding to each operation section of the conveyance to present the information to the passengers in each operation section of the conveyance.
Further, the computer may store information related to the presentation data which has been presented to the passengers by the information presenting device; and the system may further comprise a past presentation information providing device for outputting the information related to the presentation data, which has been presented to the passengers.
Furthermore, the computer may store information related to the presentation data which has been presented to the passengers by the information presenting device; and the system may further comprise a communication control unit for sending the information related to the presentation data, which has been presented to the passengers.
The system may further comprise an operation status acquisition unit which receives signals related to passing location and time of the conveyance; wherein the computer updates a reproduction start time of the presentation data to be presented to the passengers in each operation section of the conveyance in accordance with the signals received by the operation status acquisition unit.
The system may further comprise a passenger information detection unit which is provided in the conveyance and measures total weight of the passengers; wherein the computer changes the presentation data to be presented to the passengers in accordance with the total weight detected by the passenger information detection unit.
The system may further comprise a passenger information detection unit which is provided in the conveyance and measures total weight of the passengers; wherein the computer stores the total weight detected by the passenger information detection unit.
Further, items of the presentation data may be assigned reproduction priority, and the presentation data are reproduced in order of the reproduction priority.
The information presenting device may include a reproducing unit for outputting video/audio signals, a monitor for displaying an image, and a speaker for outputting sound.
A method for presenting information to passengers in a conveyance, comprising the steps of: recording operation diagram information in an information presenting system provided in a conveyance; inputting identification data for identifying the conveyance to the information presenting system; obtaining an operation time in each operation section of the conveyance on the basis of the operation diagram information and the identification data; selecting and arranging some of advertisement data items stored in a storage medium to generate presentation data for continuously presenting information to the passengers throughout a time period corresponding to the operation time; and reproducing the presentation data corresponding to each operation section of the conveyance to present the information to the passengers in each operation section of the conveyance.
The method may further comprise the steps of: storing information related to the presentation data, which has been presented to the passengers; and outputting the information related to the presentation data.
The method may further comprise the steps of: storing information related to the presentation data, which has been presented to the passengers; and sending the information related to the presentation data to the outside of the conveyance.
The method may further comprise the steps of: receiving signals related to passing location and time of the conveyance; and updating a reproduction start time of the presentation data to be presented to the passengers in each operation section of the conveyance in accordance with the signals related to passing location and time.
The method may further comprise the steps of: measuring total weight of the passengers; and changing the presentation data to be presented to the passengers in accordance with the total weight.
The method may further comprise the steps of: measuring total weight of the passengers; and storing the total weight.
The method may further comprise the steps of: assigning reproduction priority to items of the presentation data; and reproducing the presentation data in order of the reproduction priority.
With the above-described system or method, the video/audio data suited to the operation of a train can be provided, the sponsor can present the whole advertisement data to the passengers, and the passengers can be saved from feeling annoyed at or dissatisfied with the fact that they have to alight from the conveyance halfway through the data presentation.